Morning Sports Update
“In Boston there was no belief in the player.”
Vaughn Grissom slides into home during an Angels-Orioles game in June. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
August 12, 2026 | 10:50 AM
3 minutes to read
Vaughn Grissom’s take on his brief Red Sox tenure: When Vaughn Grissom was traded to the Red Sox in 2023 as part of the deal that sent Chris Sale to the Braves, big things were expected of the talented youngster.
Yet less than two years later, Grissom was dealt again to the Angles for a minor league prospect, having hit just .190 in 31 total games for the big league club.
Now a regular starter for the Angels — Grissom has played at least 20 games each at first base, second base, and third base in 2026, batting .254 with a .707 OPS — he doesn’t think the turnaround has involved much change on his end. Instead, he thinks it’s more down to the change in organizations.
Speaking recently to Mac Cerullo of The Boston Herald, Grissom offered an interesting take on the analytics-heavy approach of the Red Sox organization.
“I think I would probably attribute that to the computer, you know what I mean?” Grissom told Cerullo. “You have to watch the game and I think I’m damn near the same player, it’s just the opportunity, these people believe in me and in Boston there was no belief in the player.
“It is what it is, some people watch the game, some people go on the computer.”
Grissom argued that his contributions to a baseball team go beyond tangible statistics.
“Maybe I don’t look the best on paper, but you watch enough and you see what the player is bringing,” he noted.
The critique of the Red Sox as too reliant on data and analytics has been made before. Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been accused of taking that approach, sometimes obscuring more observational scouting.
Still, Grissom said he has no hard feelings toward his former Boston teammates. He just wishes he’d had more time to prove himself in the lineup.
“It was a great organization to be a part of and they all fought hard and they love baseball, so that was cool. I wish it was different, I can help the team win,” Grissom concluded, “but the opportunity wasn’t presented.”
Trivia: Speaking of Chris Sale, he initially arrived in Boston after a Red Sox-White Sox trade in late 2016. Along with Victor Diaz, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Michael Kopech, what Boston prospect was the center of the deal?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: He was ranked among the top prospects in baseball in 2016, and is currently (like Grissom) under contract with the Angels.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox lost to the Blue jays 5-3 on Tuesday, the team’s fourth consecutive defeat. Boston and Toronto play again today at 7:07 p.m.
The Patriots begin their preseason slate of games on Thursday, hosting the Colts at 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Legacy FC are on the road against Racing Louisville at 6:30 p.m. The Revolution also play away on Saturday, facing Toronto at 7:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
In good hands: In a potential look at the future, Drake Maye and A.J. Brown connected for a back-corner touchdown during the joint practice with the Colts on Tuesday.
Harwich wins the league: The Harwich Mariners defeated the Bourne Braves 4-2 on Tuesday to win the Cape League Championship.
On this day: In 1969, the Celtics were sold for a reported figure of $6 million. Trans-National Communications Inc. bought the Boston basketball team from P. Ballantine & Sons.
Trans-National, led by board chairman Woody Erdman, did not enjoy a successful spell running the team. Having spread itself thin with many investments, the ownership group used revenue generated by the Celtics to cover costs elsewhere at the team’s (literal) expense.
“Erdman was a thief,” Red Auerbach told Dan Shaughnessy in 2002. “He had a company in New York and when we played there, he used to take the gate receipts and never pay any bills. I once put out six or seven thousand dollars of my own money so that we could make a road trip.”
In 1972, not even three years after the sale, Trans-National filed for bankruptcy.
Celtics ownership has changed hands several more times since then, with the team most recently selling in 2025 for $6.1 billion.
Daily highlight: Even in a loss, this throw from Wilyer Abreu still stands out.
Trivia answer: Yoan Moncada
Hayden Bird
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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